Highland Retreat United Kingdom

Set in a wildly beautiful, twenty three thousand acre wilderness reserve in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Retreat offers total privacy, peace, scenic beauty and a sense of having got away from it all. The rugged beauty of this superb location allows guests to experience the Highlands in its wildest form while offering easy access to the picturesque seaside resorts of Dornoch and Ullapool, whisky and gin distilleries, outstanding golf courses and sensational walking trails. Spending a week exploring this dreamy wilderness reserve will be an unforgettable experience where you will discover rugged landscapes, lush forests, meandering rivers and much wildlife including red squirrels, red deer and the famous Scottish wild cat. It is a nature lover’s dream destination!
Highland Retreat is a characterful three bedroom cottage that is nestled on Glen Alladale, close to Ardgay. There are three other properties within the reserve, all enjoying the magical scenery and absolute seclusion. The Victorian manor house Caledonian Lodge is the largest of the properties, sleeping up to fourteen guests. Glen Rest offers two bedrooms and Wilderness Lodge boasts five bedrooms. Perhaps you may have friends that are thinking of taking a holiday in the same area who may be interested in taking a look. We feature all of the properties. One of the biggest draws of these fabulous properties is that apart from Wilderness Lodge, they are booked on a catered basis. Delicious breakfast foods will be ready for you to prepare and two course lunches and three course dinners are freshly made by the reserve’s wonderful chef using local and seasonal organic ingredients. They are delivered to you daily with simple instructions on how to heat them up. The reserve’s one and a half acre aquaponic gardens, orchards and beds produce tasty vegetables, salads, herbs and berries. There are three bee hives and over four hundred brown trout. Their ethically culled wild venison is available and they enjoy fantastic regional suppliers of fresh and wild caught seafood and local trout. Just think of venison stew, hearty pies, creamy soups, freshly caught trout and sticky date puddings in salty caramel sauce! What an amazing treat! You can walk in the hills, visit beautiful places and return to put your feet up and feast on yummy meals!
The Alladale Wilderness Reserve is simply stunning. You will be forever taking photographs! The nearest village is Ardgay, a small Scottish village on the south west shore of the Dornoch Firth at the entrance to Strathcarron, the valley of the River Carron and at the mouth of the Kyle of Sutherland. To the west you will find the pretty fishing town of Ullapool, nestled on the shores of Lochbroom. You can also explore Inverness easily, the Black Isle and the picturesque seaside town of Dornoch with its cosy shops, beautiful cathedral, stunning beach and famous championship golf course. Chanrony Point and the Cromerty Firth are among the best spots in the UK to see bottle nose dolphins. Sports lovers can enjoy canoe trips down the Kyle of Sutherland, fishing, watersports and much more. The location makes it very easy to visit quiet Highland beaches, historic buildings and lush green landscapes sprinkled with waterfalls, challenging hills and mountains. A day trip to Aviemore brings the thrills of white water rafting, skiing, quad biking, an aerial adventure course and various watersports. You can also canoe on the River Beauly or sea kayak in the Firth.
Highland Retreat offers an oasis of gracious and glorious living deep in the Scottish Highlands. It is wonderfully remote, surrounded by wild views and offers a delightful sense of privacy, the embodiment of a perfect Highland retreat. It is beautifully presented with two double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a large loft family room with a separate family bathroom. This room offers four single beds and also offers a sofa bed. The cottage enjoys underfloor and wall heating as well as a cosy wood burning stove in the living room. The living space is open plan with a gorgeous beamed, vaulted ceiling. It looks amazing, especially with its unique, antler styled chandelier lights. The calm natural colour palette works perfectly with the dark wooden beams. Squishy sofas and stylish armchairs sit by the fire and television. This leads to a charming dining area where there is even a telescope so that you can enjoy the views and look for wildlife. The chef’s dream of a kitchen comes with beautiful cabinetry, a Nespresso coffee machine, coffee grinder, juicer, Nutri-bullet and all the other appliances you could ever need.
The two master bedroom suites sit on the ground floor with sumptuous kingsize beds, gorgeous Scottish fabrics, oversized headboards and fabulous ensuite bathrooms with trendy freestanding baths and walk-in showers. You will deep dive into some serious shut-eye in these wonderful rooms. Meanwhile, your children can have a ball upstairs in the wonderful loft room. This is actually also ideal for a small family with its four single beds, sitting area and family bathroom. Again, the bathroom features a freestanding bath and shower.
Outside, there is a delightful terrace for alfresco dining, a barbecue and those magical hilly views. Highland Retreat is a fabulous Scottish hideaway. You will make wonderful holiday memories here.Highland Retreat is nestled in Glen Alladale on the enormous Alladale Wilderness Reserve, close to the village of Ardgay in the Scottish Highlands. It is a fabulous location brimming with forests, mountains, hills, rivers and splendid views. Ardgay lies on the Dornoch Firth, close to where it becomes the Kyle of Sutherland. Ardgay owes its existence to the 3rd Duke of Sutherland whose estates were so extensive when the railway was built from Inverness in the early 1860’s that he had some control over the route. Ardgay lies at the entrance to Strathcarron, the valley of the River Carron that extends far into the mountainous area to the south west. Some walkers hike from the Kyle of Sutherland in the east to Loch Broom in the west, crossing Scotland in a day.
The cute fishing village of Ullapool is very popular. In this area you can enjoy a variety of fabulous walks in the mountains, along the rock coast and following inland footpaths with an excellent selection of fine summits. Stornoway and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides are a ferry ride away. Ullapool and its surrounding area has been described as an outdoor paradise with a ‘Scandinavian twinkle in winter and Canadian-style adrenaline in summer’ and voted as one of the top ten outdoor destinations by Outdoor Fitness magazine. The Inverpolly National Nature Reserve, just like the Alladale Wilderness Reserve, is home to a wonderful array of wildlife including pine martens, wildcats, buzzards and golden eagles.
Dornoch is just under an hour away with its stunning cathedral where services were held as early as 1239, its breathtaking sandy beach, its Royal Dornoch Golf course and its wonderful shops, restaurants and bars. The links golf course has been played on since the 16th century. You might like to take a look in The Carnegie Whisky Cellars while you are there at its unique range of malt whiskies from all over Scotland. On the way there or on the way back, you may like to stop at the Whisky Distillery at Glenmorangie or at the famous ANTA Pottery and Tain Pottery studios.
Horse lovers can visit the family run Hollingwells Equestrian Centre near Edderton. You can enjoy excellent equestrian tuition or day long treks through stunning landscapes.
If you enjoy boat trips and looking for dolphins, there are plenty of opportunies. You can take a memorable day trip to see these beautiful animals from Chanrony Point or the Cromarty Firth on the Black Isle. You can take a wonderful stroll on pretty Rosemarkie Bay, enjoying a coffee at the local beach cafe before taking out your binoculars to spot the majestic animals. Another popular trip is to Lairg, a fifty minute drive from the cottage to the small, family run Go Wild Highlands where you can take canoe trips down the Kyle of Sutherland. A day trip to Aviemore offers the thrills of white water rafting, skiing, quad biking, an aerial adventure course and various watersports. As well as Royal Dornoch, other spectacular golf courses within easy reach are Castle Stewart and Fortrose and Rosemarkie. If you take a trip to Loch Ness you will enjoy a boat cruise, stopping at the ruins of Urquhart Castle. The Black Isle is also beautiful with plenty of quaint seaside villages, smoked fish shops, craft shops and cute cafes as well as its own Black Isle Brewery where you can stop and taste the beer.At Excellence Luxury Villas, we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. From private chefs to travel services, we can help you arrange those little extras that make it a truly memorable holiday. Simply fill in the
concierge request form or contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team, who will be happy to help. We can typically help you arrange any of the following:
– Maid service/extra cleaning – Private chef/cook/catering – Welcome hamper/pre-stocked fridge – Local day-trips or tours – Airport pick-up/drop-off
Simply fill in the concierge request form or contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team.
Please note that all extras are subject to availability and must be requested in advance of the holiday (prices on request). Due to some rural/remote locations, not all services will be available at all properties. However, we will always do our best to fulfil your requests!